Electric iron and stand



Dec. 18 1923. 1,478,310

E. w. WELLS ELECTRIC IRON AND STAND Filed March 18, 1921 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 18, 1923.

UNITED STATES EARL W. WELLS, OF SOUTH BROWNSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC IRON AND STAND.

Application filed March 18, 1921.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL WALKER ELLS, a citizen of the United States,residing at South Brownsville, in the county of Fayette and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electricirons and Stands, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an electric iron and stand, and moreparticularly to an iron and stand provided with co-operating means forconnecting the heating element of the iron to the opposite sides of anelectric circuit when the iron is in the stand, the iron being free ofthe usual cord when removed from the stand for ironing purposes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide simple and efiicientmeans for heating an electric iron while avoiding the usual cord orother means attached to the iron, thus permitting freedom of movementwhen the iron is in use. A further object is to provide means of thecharacter stated of simple construction and operation which ma beproduced at small cost and may be readily applied, if desired, to anelectric iron of standard construction. Further objects will ap car fromthe detailed description.

11 the drawings:

Fi re 1 is a top plan view of an iron and stan constructed in accordancewith my 1nvent1on.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the iron andstand.

Figure 3 is a side view of the iron.

The iron 1 may be of any suitable or preferred construction and isprovided with a heatin element or resistance 2 of any known or preierredtype. At its forwardend the iron is provided, at each side, with acontact plate 3 set into an insulating member 4 secured in a recess inthe face of the iron. This insulating member is provided with a nipple 5extending through the side wall of the iron, and this nipple receives abinding ppst 6 projecting inwardly from plate 3.

ach binding post is provided with nuts 7 b means of which the ends ofresistance element 2 are secured and electrically connected to therespective posts 6. A suitable handle 8 is secured to the iron in anyknown or preferred manner.

For receivin the iron I provide a stand 9 having its orward end or apexportion enclosed by a housin or casing 10, and provided at its base witan upwardly project- Serial No. 453,272.

ing flange 11. Within housing 10 I provide a support 12 of V shape incross-section, this support being firmly secured to the base of stand 9and being'formed of electrical insulating material. Spring contactplates 13 are secured to the arms of support 12 and are positioned tocontact with plates 3 of iron 1 when the iron is in positionin thestand. Housing 10 is provided in its top plate with a central recess 14adapted for reception of the forward arm 8 of handle 8. When the iron isplaced in the stand arm 8 fits into recess 14 so as to center theforward or apex portion of the iron relative to support 12 thus causingcontact of plates 3 with contact members 13 when the iron is moved intoits most forwardly position in the stand, in which position it isretained by flange 11. The contact members 13 are connected to theopposite sides 'of an electric circuit by wires 15 of a cord 16 which ispassed through an insulating collar 17 secured in a nipple 18 projectingfrom one side of housing 10. When the iron is thus inserted into thestand heating element 2 is connected to the opposite sides of theelectric circuit so as to heat the iron. When the iron is removed fromthe stand it is free of all encumbrances, such as the usual cord, andcan be freely manipulated during the ironing operation. As clearlyillustrated in Figure 2, the plates 3 are flush with the sides of theiron and coact with contact. members 13 to center the iron in the standand to obtain proper contact between members 13 and plates 3. Also, byhaving plates 3 flush with the outer face of the iron all projectionssuch as would interfere with ironing clothes and fabrics are avoidedwhich is a decided practical advantage.

In ironing it is frequently necessary to place the iron upon the stand,as when folding or sprinklin the articles ironed, or for other reasons.y repeated experiments I have found that the iron is retained at asufficiently high temperature for ironing pur poses by inserting it intothe stand during the rather frequent short periods that it is necessaryto stop ironing. It is possible, therefore, to keep the iron at asufliciently high temperature for ironing purposes by using the iron andstand constructed in the manner illustrated and above described whileavoiding the use of the usual cord which, at times, seriously interfereswith ironing and is, at all times, an encumbrance such as prevents freeand unimpeded manip ulation of the iron. As will be understood, it maybe found desirable in practice to resort to changes in details ofconstruction and arrangement, of the invention, and I intend to includeall such variations, as fall within the scope of the appended claims, inthis application in which a preferred form only of my invention isdisclosed.

hat I claim is 1. In combination with an iron including a resistanceelement, contact plates carried by and electrically insulated from theiron and connected to the ends of said resistance element, a standadapted for reception of the iron, contact members carried by the standand positioned to contact with said plates when the iron is in saidstand, the plates being flush with the iron, and meansfor connectingsaid contact members to the opposite sides of an electric circuit.

2. In combination with an iron including a resistance element, said irontapering forwardly at its forward end, contact plates carried by theiron at opposite sides of the forward portion thereof, said plates beingelectrically insulated from the iron and connected to the ends of theresistance element, a stand adapted for reception of the iron, resilientcontact members carried by the stand at the forward ends thereof andconverging forwardly of the stand, and means for connecting said membersto the opposite sides of an electric circuit.

3. In combination with an iron including a resistance element, said irontapering forwardly at its forward end, contact plates carried by theiron at opposite sides of the forward portion thereof, said plates beingelectrically insulated from the iron and connected to the ends of theresistance element, a stand adapted for reception of the iron, resilientcontact members carried by the stand at the forward end thereof andconverging forwardly of the stand, and means for connecting said membersto the opposite sides of an'electric circuit, the stand being providedwith means for holding the iron from movement away from the contactmembore.

4. In combination with an iron including a resistance element, said irontapering forwardly at its forward end, contact plates carried by theiron at opposite sides of the forward portion thereof, said plates beingelectrically insulated from the iron and connected to the ends of theresistance element, a stand adapted for reception of the iron, resilientcontact members carried by the stand at the forward ends thereof andconverging forwardly of the stand, and means for connecting said membersto the opposite sides of an electric circuit, the stand being providedwith a flange positioned to contact with the rearward end of the ironwhen the same is fully inserted into the stand and to hold the ironagainst movement away from the contact members.

5. In combination with an iron including a heating element, contactplates carried by and electrically insulated from the iron and connectedto the ends of said resistance element, said plates being positioned atopposite sides of the forward portion of the iron, a stand adapted forreception of the iron and provided at its forward portion with a housinfor receiving the forward portion of sai iron, at supporting member ofsubstantially V shape in cross-section positioned within said housingand directed rearwardly of the stand, said supporting member beingadapted for reception ofthe forward portion of the iron and being formedof electrical insulating material, and contact members secured on theinner faces of the arms of the supporting member and positioned forcontact with the contact members of the iron when the iron is insertedinto the stand.

6. A stand adapted for reception of an electric iron and provided with ahousing for receiving the forward portion of the iron, a supportingmember of substantially V-shape in cross-section positioned within saidhousing and directed rearwardly of the stand, said supporting memberbeing adapted for reception of the forward portion of the iron and beingformed of electrical insulating material, contact members mounted on theinner faces of the arms of the supporting member, and means forconnecting said contact members to the opposite sides of an electriccircuit.

7. In combination with an, electric iron, a resistance element withinthe iron, and contact plates set into the iron at opposite sides of theforward portion thereof, the outer faces of said plates being flush withthe outer surface of the iron and the plates being electricallyinsulated from the iron and connected to the ends of said resistanceelement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EARL W. WELLS.

